Counter-sniper rifle DXL-3 "Retribution" for the Special Operation
DXL-3 rifle for the defense of Donbass
The units and formations involved in the Special Operation are armed with all the necessary small arms weapon different classes, incl. sniper rifles of several types and modifications. Recently it became known that such an arsenal will receive replenishment. High-precision rifles manufactured by the Russian company Lobaev Arms, incl. product DXL-3 "Retribution". It is proposed to use it to deal with enemy snipers.
nationwide collection
The Russian army and the people's militia of Donbass receive not only the moral support of the people. Throughout the Special Operation, various organizations and activists organize the collection of money and materiel for them. Various means of an auxiliary nature are being transferred to formations and units, and now arms deliveries are also beginning.
In early May, the founder and head of the weapons company Lobaev Arms, Vladislav Lobaev, launched a fundraising campaign on his Telegram channel to help the fighting units. Already in the first days of such a campaign, it was possible to raise money for the purchase of sighting equipment and other items for transfer to Russian and Donbass units.
Donations soon made it possible to switch to more expensive aid in the form of sniper rifles. Lobaev Arms is ready to send its weapons to our snipers, but the production of such products is not simple and cheap. The collected money was supposed to compensate for the costs of their manufacture.
TSVL-8 rifle paid for by donations
By the end of May, funds were raised for two TSVL-8 rifles in the M1 Stalingrad version. This weapon was planned to be sent to a "famous and glorious" but unnamed unit. On June 7, V. Lobaev wrote about the completion of fundraising for another rifle - the counter-sniper DXL-3 "Retribution". In the near future, they also planned to send her to the troops. The recipient was not named again, but they promised that the enemy would appreciate this novelty.
Lobaev Arms and colleagues continue to collect and purchase various equipment and equipment for the troops. It should be expected that in the very near future the "payment" for the next rifle will be announced. It will also fall into the right hands and then contribute to the speedy demilitarization of Ukraine.
Application Issues
So far, nothing has been reported about the combat use of the Stalingrad and Retribution rifles, paid for by donors. However, such information may appear in the very near future. At the same time, the DXL-3 product, designed for counter-sniper combat, is of the greatest interest in this context.
It should be recalled that since 2014, foreign allies have been actively helping the Ukrainian army to develop the sniper direction. Various samples of sniper weapons were supplied, incl. high-precision and long-range, as well as training of personnel. In the future, Ukrainian snipers with foreign weapons became a serious problem for the people's militia of Donbass.
"Retribution" in combat configuration
With the beginning of the Russian Special Operation, Ukrainian snipers became active again. Our army has all the necessary forces and means to deal with such a threat, but any additional weapons and support systems will not be superfluous. It is in this capacity that the Retribution rifle is offered.
The DXL-3 product has a number of important differences and advantages. It uses the .338 LM cartridge and has an extended range. Due to a number of technical solutions, this rifle is superior in range to other existing weapons for similar ammunition or for weaker cartridges. In addition, high accuracy and accuracy of fire has been achieved.
Such a technical potential can be used to solve a variety of fire missions, incl. to deal with enemy snipers. In fact, in most situations, the shooter gets the opportunity to attack the enemy from outside his effective fire zone. High accuracy allows you to hit the target without the risk of a return shot.
It should be noted that the effectiveness of using a long-range rifle depends not only on its own characteristics, but also on auxiliary equipment - observation devices, sights, etc. In addition, the number of rifles in the units and the organization of the combat work of snipers are of decisive importance.
Sniper "Retribution"
The DXL-3 Retribution rifle was developed in the first half of the last decade and first introduced in May 2014. In 2017, the development company upgraded it. The project was updated to correct the identified shortcomings and improve performance. At the same time, radical innovations were not envisaged.
The DXL-3 project is based on an interesting concept. It was planned to create a new high-precision weapon chambered for .338 LM (8,6x70 mm), making the most of the potential of such ammunition in terms of range and accuracy of fire. For this, it was decided to apply all available technologies and developments.
Outwardly and in its design, "Retribution" is similar to other Lobaev Arms rifles, but has a number of features. The product is built according to the standard scheme with a chassis and a hanging barrel. To reduce weight and obtain the necessary strength, the chassis and fittings are made of aluminum alloy.
The rifle received an 8,6 mm rifled barrel 740 mm long. The outer surface of the trunk has six valleys. A multi-chamber compensator brake is installed on the muzzle, which sharply reduces recoil. The DXL-3 is claimed to have comparable recoil to smaller caliber weapons chambered for weaker cartridges. The barrel is fixed in a tubular receiver and does not come into contact with other parts.
Like other rifles, the Retribution gets a bolt-action bolt action. Food is supplied from detachable 5-round magazines. A Duke striker-type trigger mechanism with adjustable trigger pull is used.
It is possible to equip and adjust the rifle to the needs and desires of the shooter. The aluminum handguard has side and bottom rails for accessories. The upper rail of the forearm is made integral with a similar mount on the receiver - they are designed for mounting sights of different models. The butt has adjustment mechanisms, and also develops for carrying.
In combat position, the DXL-3 has a length of 1,331 m with a height (excluding sight and other devices) of 190 mm. Own weight - 7,91 kg. Declared high fire performance. The maximum effective range has been increased to 1800 m. Accuracy at a distance of 100 m with a group of 5 shots is 0,35 MOA. At maximum range, this parameter is 0,42 MOA.
Practice tests
According to army folklore, the best weapon against snipers has a caliber of at least 122 mm. Nevertheless, it is not always and not in all conditions necessary or expedient to use artillery for counter-sniper work. As a result, other tools and firepower are required. First of all, these are high-precision long-range rifles.
DXL-3 "Retribution", like other developments of Lobaev Arms, are not in service with the Russian army. According to known data, this is due to incomplete compliance with existing concepts for the use of sniper weapons, with the technical features of rifles, as well as their high cost. In this regard, the current deliveries of the Stalingrad and Retribution rifles are carried out privately and without an order from the Ministry of Defense.
It should be expected that in the near future high-precision rifles from Lobaev Arms will fall into the units involved in the Special Operation and will immediately find application. What will be the results of their use is not yet clear, but one can imagine that such weapons will confirm their characteristics, and well-trained snipers will be able to use their full potential. Both general sniper capabilities and abilities for counter-sniper combat with all its specifics should be shown.
The long-term consequences of the "deployment" of the DXL-3 or TSVL-8 rifles are still unknown. Snipers have yet to test this weapon and evaluate it in terms of actual operation. Whether they will recommend such rifles for official adoption is a big question.
However, the short-term prospects for such weapons are clear and obvious. Rifles from Lobaev Arms will fall into the zone of the Special Operation and will make a certain contribution to the destruction of the enemy. How big it will be depends on the skills of the snipers, the number of rifles and a number of other factors.
- Ryabov Kirill
- Telegram / Lobaev Z, Lobaev Arms
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